Kasturba Gandhi: A bio-fiction

By Giriraj Kishore

Kasturba Gandhi is the fictionalised biography of Kasturba Gandhi, a lady as strong and great as Mahatma Gandhi. A lady who earned a place in history because of her personal sacrifices and strength of conviction in what was right as much as on account of being the wife of Mahatma Gandhi in his fight for basic human rights for Indians in South Africa and the Indian Freedom Movement. She was the first Indian woman who voluntarily faced a jail sentence in a foreign soil – in South Africa – in her fight for basic rights for Indian women.

The book gives a glimpse of how a strong woman can empower herself staying within the folds of tradition and convention. It offers a rarely portrayed facet of Gandhi – a family man, a father, a husband. It shows how his transformation from Mr Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to Mahatma Gandhi happened with the support of a woman who was a silent partner in the struggle. How she let him realise his larger goals at a cost to herself and family in the larger interests of mankind. How she willingly courted jail terms in Africa, an alien land with no grip on the language and keeping her vegetarian habits intact. How she took up the causes started by Bapu, when he was jailed in India and was imprisoned. How she breathed her last in jail - in Agha Khan Palace where she was jailed last.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Niyogi
• Release date: Aug 16, 2018
• ISBN: 9789386906489

Book preview

___***___

Children at play

There was a small courtyard outside Diwan Sahib Karamchand’s house. All the children of the neighbourhood would gather there to play. Boys and girls. The game of ‘I SPY’ was their favourite. The ‘den’ would be a boy named Moniya. He was the youngest son of Diwan Sahib. He was always angling to make Kastur the ‘den.’ Kastur was the daughter of the Makan family. She lived right behind the house and the two families were close.

Kastur was clever and always managed to evade Moniya. He felt she was making him look small and grudged her these little victories. He grumbled, ‘Who do you think you are! You cannot defeat me by making me run …’

‘It is you who is making me run. I will keep running. Go chase the others …’ Kastur would say, unyielding, not breaking her run.

‘It is my choice. I can chase whoever I want.’

‘I will not give up.’

‘I am older than you.’

‘No, I am older.’

‘I have a janm patri.’

‘You are always showing off about your janm patri.’

‘I am older.’

‘My ba told me that you came into this world six months after me.’

‘You are a liar.’

Kastur would burst into tears. Hearing the commotion, Moniya’s mother would come out of the house. ‘You are troubling Kastur again,’ she would scold Moniya.

‘He called me a liar, Moti Ba! Ask the others. I am not a liar!’

‘She says I am six months younger than her.’

‘So, why should that upset you? If she says that you are six months older, would you become six months older?’

‘Ba, you are taking her side!’ Moniya was tearful now.

‘Oh! You silly boy! As if six months this way or that makes one bigger or smaller…’

‘Then why doesn’t she believe that I am older and she is younger?’

‘Just look at him Ba!... I will not believe it. Will not …’

‘Keep fighting, both of you. Nobody becomes smaller or bigger by fighting,’ said Ba and went back into the house. She had to finish the cooking. Moniya’s eyes flashed and he leapt across and touched her. Now the fight was about Moniya’s cheating.

The children sided with Moniya. There were more boys than girls. The girls were with Kastur. Kastur said, ‘We will go to Diwan Sahib’s court.’ That made Moniya nervous. ‘If you go there, I will go to Chhote Kaka!’ Chhote Kaka was Kastur’s father.

‘Bapu will agree with whatever Mota Bapu says.’

‘Alright, I will be the den again. After this, you will be the den,’ said Moniya.

‘I will not! Why should I …. play the game like it is meant to be played.’

After many heated exchanges, it was decided that if Kastur went to Diwan Sahib’s court, since nobody could lie in front of him, Kastur would win and Moniya would lose. That would not be a good thing, so the game was called off.

‘We won’t let the girls play from tomorrow,’ said Moniya huffily.

‘We will call Moti Ba,’ retorted Kastur.

It was dusk. Even the birds and their mates were making a huge ruckus as they returned to their nests. The children made their way back home, making faces at each other.

___***___

Kastur

Kastur’s mother was Brajkunwari. Her father was Gokuldas Makanji. Born in Porbandar, Kathiawad. Year 1868, date unknown. She was an only and much loved daughter. There were three brothers and two sisters. One brother and sister died early. Her elder brother Khushaldas left them in the prime of his youth. Only Kastur and her brother Madhavdas remained.

Gokuldas exported cotton and grain to Africa. Her grandfather Makanji Kapadia had done the same. He must have also have been in the textile business hence the name Kapadia. Gokuldasji had started using Makanji instead of Kapadia. May be he did not like writing Kapadia. The word Makanji had softer connotations. It is believed that Makanji had branches in Bombay and Calcutta.

The house where Kastur was born was an old building, bungalow style. They did not have a showy lifestyle but the house was well appointed. Kastur was born in one small room and since there was a very close relationship with the Diwan Karamchand family, her birth was celebrated in both houses. Diwan Sahib had three sons and one daughter. The Diwanni, the Diwan Sahib’s wife, loved girls. When Kastur grew a little older, she would often go to their house. Diwan Sahib was also known by the name of Kaba Gandhi. Kastur used to call him Mota Bapu and the Diwanni Moti Ba. When she would play among the gaggle of children, Moti Ba would always look out for her. Two or three other girls from the neighbourhood would also turn up to play with Kastur.

The boys would run around the whole neighbourhood, but the girls would be mostly at home. As Kastur grew a little older, her house was her informal school. No books or slate in this school. She was taught things in a myriad different ways. The first lesson was through stories. The story of Sati Anusuya whose purity was tested by the Gods themselves but who succeeded by using her intelligence was recounted. The legend of Savitri-Satyavan. How Savitri defeated Lord Yama through logic and saved Satyavan from death. Taramati stood by her husband Raja Harishchandra and went against the devatas and sage Vishwamitra. Her only son Rohitashv was bitten by a serpent, but she did not budge. In the end, defeated by the staunch husband and wife, the devatas had to give him the gift of life, and return their kingdom. When she grew a little older, Kastur was amazed to hear the tales of sacrifice and forbearance of other brave women. She would wish that her mother and sisters would also be equally brave.

The other lessons were to do with housework and serving others in the household. Being the youngest daughter, she was expected to serve everybody. Her mother would teach her to cook a variety of things. She would explain to Kastur the close relationship between the heart and the stomach and would teach how good food kept everybody healthy. There was a tradition of singing bhajans in the mornings and evenings and she really liked to sing.

***

She liked Moniya but abhorred his propensity to quarrel and show his superiority by claiming to be older. If somebody called her a liar, Kastur would be incensed. She knew that Moniya was also not a liar. He would be scolded by Moti Ba. He was Moti Ba’s favourite child and he returned the favour. He was deeply devoted to her. On a day of fasting, (during the monsoons), Moti Ba would not eat until she had seen the sun. If the sun did not show up, Ba would say she would eat the next day. He would run up to the terrace repeatedly and pray with folded hands beseeching the sun to come up because his ba was hungry.

Moti Ba was loved by all her children. Moniya did not like it when Ba would tell him not to play with the sweeper boy. Moniya would invariably end up playing with him. When he would get back, summer or winter, Ba would empty a bucket of cold water over him at the doorstep, and only then allow him to enter. It had become a part of his routine to play with that boy and then suffer a cold water dunk by Ba. Moti Ba maintained that it was not that child’s fault – he was a good child. But it was to do with dharma. Moniya would keep quiet most of the times but would occasionally argue that nobody had any control on where they were born. What was Kastur’s view is not known but she felt that Ba was right. Why would Moti Ba say something that was not right? Moniya was scared of Diwan Sahib, though he was his favourite child too. Kastur would sometimes compare her own family with that of Diwan Sahib but could not decide which was better. All the children were scared of Diwan Sahib but Moti Ba was universally liked. Makanji loved Kastur dearly and she was not at all scared of him. If Kastur’s mother scolded her, her father would take her side. So she decided that her father was nice but on the other side, Moti Ba was very nice. She even scolded Moniya if he troubled Kastur. The two sides of the balance were evenly poised. She would feel quite pleased when she reached that conclusion.

***

As Kastur entered the third stage of instruction in the home school, Moniya and she had long stopped playing together. As the cooking classes picked up, it was time for the girls to tuck their wings in. Eyes were to be kept lowered. Moniya was busy with his studies now. Bapu would ask him what he studied in school each day and he would rattle off a series of things. Bapu had been tutoring him until classes four and five. A Diwan was not expected to be very polished. It was enough if he understood the politics of the kingdom and was trustworthy. Kaba Gandhi’s father, Ota Gandhi, had not been very educated, but was a master of statecraft. It was said that he was so courageous that even after the Queen of Porbandar, Roopaliba, had cannons installed around his house, he left Porbandar only after he had buried his Muslim bodyguard, killed in the exchange of fire. Kaba Gandhi knew his scriptures and he was considered quite knowledgeable. Maulvis, pandits, Parsi high priests and padres would gather at his house. Jain sadhus would pay regular visits. If there was a disagreement, it was usually resolved with Kaba Gandhi’s intervention. Preparing his medicine or giving him an oil massage, young Moniya would listen intently and try and make sense of what he heard. He would not speak because he was painfully shy.

He was so shy that he would hesitate to step out before Kastur. There was no question of going to her house. Sometimes Kastur would visit with her mother, but there was practically no conversation between Moniya and her. The women would step out in the afternoons after finishing their kitchen chores. Moniya would be in school at the time. Even if he was at home, he would sit outside and read. Kastur would remember how he would fight with her for no reason and get scolded by Moti Ba. She would smile at the memory.

***

For quite some time, there were whispered conversations in Kastur’s house. Kastur was perplexed because usually all matters were discussed quite openly. Nothing was kept hidden, whether it was about business or borrowing and lending. For the first time, Ba and Bapu were talking only to each other. She was very curious. Even so, she tried to divert her attention. Maybe it was about something that they did not want to tell the children. But it had never been like this. Should she be worried? Had Bapu suffered a loss? But he was not one to be affected by such things. One day it became clear that it was about somebody’s marriage. Whose marriage? She didn’t know. All that Kastur understood about marriage was that it was a community celebration where a boy and a girl wore new clothes. There was much song and dance as if in a swaang. The girl usually was gifted new ornaments. The halwai made all kinds of sweet dishes and savouries and instruments were played. The boy was dressed up and put on a horse. The most fun part was the dancing by the women. Family and friends got together. Thinking about all this was exciting and she was eager to take part in the celebrations. She had seen the wedding of a tulsi plant. All the ceremonies had been observed. Lord Vishnu from a temple had come to wed Tulsi Mata. He had not come on a horse but as an idol in a palanquin. Kastur had thought of it as a game. When she mentioned this to Ba, she had rebuked her saying that she was not to speak so irreverently. Mother Tulsi and Bhagwan would take offence. She remembered a line from the aarti, Tulsi Rani Namo namah, Hari ki patrani namo namah, … Queen Tulsi, I bow to you, Bride of Hari, I bow to you.

Kastur was seven years old. She was told that she was engaged to Diwan Karamchand’s youngest son. She did not understand what it meant to be engaged. But she knew that this was Moniya, in whose courtyard they played chor-sipahi. She remembered that he was very proud of being older than Kastur. Kastur’s mother maintained that he was born six months later. Kastur felt a lick of irritation, but then she thought it did not matter because she was hardly going to play with him again. She was fine in her house and surely so was the case with him. If she had said this out loud, somebody would surely have laughed and told her that even if she were older, now she would have to play the game according to his rules. She also noticed that everybody in the house looked elated as if they had landed a rare treasure. Kastur found out later that Ba and Bapu had really wished for Kastur to be married into Diwan Sahib’s house. She would still be around for them.

***

The propitious day of the engagement dawned. The Pandits had chosen this date after much deliberation. There were elaborate preparations. After all, it was an alliance with Diwanji’s family. The adornments and festivity all around matched the joy and enthusiasm of the people gathered. The men were congratulating Gokuldas Makanji on his good fortune that his daughter was marrying Diwanji’s youngest son. Ba Brajkunwari was receiving similar felicitations. The families were well matched but Diwanji had an edge. He was the Diwan of Porbandar and enjoyed the trust of the king. He was highly respected in the durbar. His wife, the Diwanni, was close to the Rajmata. Porbandar was home to much affluence and everybody praised Makanji’s daughter’s good fortune.

Kastur sat all folded up, like a little doll, in the midst of all the women. She was only a little girl so she would doze off and then right her neck with a start. She would look around to see if anybody had noticed. The sounds of the dholak were heard. Auspicious songs were sung. Kastur craned her neck to see Diwan Karamchand Gandhi and her bapu Makanji embrace each other ceremonially. The purohit brought a big thal with fruits and gold ornaments. The members of the Gandhi family touched the thal. Then Kastur was taken inside. The purohit put the thal on her head and blessed her. The auspicious songs continued. The women embraced and congratulated each other. Kastur was somewhat overwhelmed. She did not understand what was going on. Why was such a big thal put on her head? Ba picked up a heavy necklace from the thal and put it around Kastur’s neck. She immediately began to finger it and all the women laughed. Kastur’s face grew red.

___***___

Diwanji’s Arrival

Soon after the engagement, preparations for the wedding began in earnest in both the families. There was an atmosphere of celebration, eager anticipation and joy. Kastur was restless as she tried to understand what was going on. Everybody would only laugh and say it is for your marriage. You have to go to your sasural . Her face would fall. She wanted to say that she was not going anywhere leaving her ba, bapu and bhai behind but knew better than to say this. Everybody had laughed when she had actually blurted it out once.

Moniya’s state was not very different from Kastur’s. Since he was not present at the engagement, he found out about it only much later. He reacted the same way as Kastur had done. He thought of it as a game. He could not understand why Bapu did not take him along. He found out that the groom does not go to the girl’s house before the marriage. He couldn’t ask what was the difference between an engagement and a wedding. Who could he ask? If he asked Bhabhi, she would make fun of him. What is the big hurry, Dewar ji? When he came to know that he was to be married to Makanji’s younger daughter, he was worried. He knew he prided himself on being older than her but also knew it was not true. If he said this, Ba took her side. It was a worry but like children’s worries, it did not linger. She ran really fast and she was not afraid of anything. Now that was something that bothered him.

***

In the house, everybody was worried about something else. A short while ago, Diwanji had been appointed Diwan of Rajkot and had left to go there. He was getting on in years. Rajkot was the headquarters of the regional offices of the British empire. The ruler of Rajkot had summoned him so that he could manage the kingdom properly. Diwanji wanted to arrange Moniya and his middle son Karsan’s marriage from Porbandar, at the same time. Karsan was Moniya’s senior by three years. Diwanji had lived all his life in Porbandar. He knew that Rajkot was a big kingdom and he would have more work. He would have to work hard and at a whole new level. This was also Moniya’s third chance at an alliance. The first two did not work out because the girls did not survive. Child mortality was very common. Everybody was alert and concerned that this time things should work out. There was a huge age difference between Putlibai and Karamchand. Putlibai was his fourth wife. His third wife had insisted that he take a fourth, so that there would be children. Putlibai kept her own counsel and so did Karamchand.

Being the head of the family, Karamchand wrote to his brother Tulsidas, saying that his son Motilal’s wedding could also take place in the same mandap, along with the two boys. Tulsidas was very happy to comply as Karamchand was his respected elder brother. Karamchand felt that if three brothers could be married off together, it would put less financial pressure on the girls’ families and the guests would not have to travel repeatedly.

Traditionally, the wedding expenses have to be borne by the girl’s family. The Modh Banias observed another tradition. The Vaish Sabha of Porbandar was the one to decide the standard of the weddings. Dowry, the gifts, the hospitality was to be in keeping with the status of Diwan Sahib. This matter was debated at length. Karamchand wanted the expenses to be divided equally between the three. Nobody should feel that they are higher or lower than the others.

Moniya was to be married to Kastur, Karsan to Ganga and Motilal to Harkunwar. Karsan was the most excited about the marriage. In the company of his friend Sheikh Mahtab, he knew what it meant to be married. Moniya was comparatively backward in such matters, so for him the wedding was just a celebration. Karamchand had arranged for leave from school and sent the boys to Porbandar, a month in advance. He knew he had been given a new responsibility so was not sure when he would get leave. At least the boys could go there and begin preparations. Thakur Sahib wanted Karamchand to complete all the important work before he went. He sent the people remaining in Rajkot, five days in advance, with a message that he would reach as soon as he could. He wanted all the members of the family to be present at the time of this grand joint wedding. There were some of Tulsidas’s relatives, some of Kaba Gandhi’s and many others from both the sides.

As he struggled to finish the tasks that were given to him, time was flying and he began to feel that he would be hard put to reach Porbandar in time for the wedding. His nerves were frayed as he tried his best to finish off all the work. When only three days remained, Thakur Sahib summoned him and said he should take the royal buggy. The horses were so swift that he would reach Porbandar in three days. Diwan Sahib was hesitant. Noticing his hesitation, Thakur Sahib reassured him saying that I kept you back because of the work, now it is my duty to see that you reach in time for your sons’ wedding. Karamchand bowed his head in gratitude.

***

The day of the wedding was upon them but there was no sign of Karamchand. Or any news. All the family members had long faces. Was the wedding going to take place without the blessings of the head of the household? Tulsi Kaka was pacing up and down the outer courtyard grappling with the unwelcome idea that in the absence of his elder brother, he would have to shoulder the entire responsibility. Diwanji had called him to complete Moti’s wedding and now he was saddled with Diwanji’s two boys as well. Putlibai was worried sick about managing such a huge affair all by herself. The nai from the brides’ side was coming again and again with anxious enquiry about Diwan Sahib’s arrival. Three sets of people from the families of the brides were deeply uneasy. Everybody’s eyes were riveted to the front door. The wedding celebrations could progress only if Diwan Sahib came.

When hopelessness descended and they were forced to contend with the idea that it was impossible for Diwan Sahib to reach, the coach of the Thakur of Rajkot was spotted in the distance, shimmering like a drop of hope. Everybody was shocked. Thakur Sahib’s coach? There was no advance information about his coming nor were there any arrangements made to receive him. If Diwan Sahib had been there he would have managed. Thakur Sahib was coming but where was Diwan Sahib? Everybody’s brains went into overdrive. If it were Thakur Sahib, his flag would precede him as would his horsemen and there would be a ceremonial band. Suddenly Diwan Sahib could be seen alighting from the buggy and everybody’s faces looked like a dry field of paddy that had suddenly received rainfall. But why did he need assistance to get down? He had bandages all over his body. There was shocked silence.

***

All along the way, Diwan Sahib had asked the syces, ‘Can’t the horses go a little faster?’

‘Huzoor, they are going full clip. They are dripping with sweat. If one of them missteps, we will not be able to control the buggy.’

No sooner was this said that the wheel hit a stone and the coach listed to the left and then overturned. Horses have the amazing capacity to halt even running at full speed. They take all the weight on their forelegs. The sun had not set fully. People gathered when they saw the royal buggy in this state. They hesitated to touch it but after getting a signal from the syces, they turned it right side up. Diwan Sahib was injured. The syces had scratches. The horses must have been hurt too but they immediately stood upright. Their ears indicated danger. A dhoti was extracted from Diwan Sahib’s box and strips of bandage torn from it. A local healer applied medicine and bandages. The horses were released and watered. Then they were put in harness again. Porbandar was a few hours away. The horses began to gallop. Diwan Sahib was getting tossed around. He was forced to say that their pace should be a steady trot – they would make it to Porbandar by nightfall. This pace was fine and their hooves drummed a comforting rhythm …

As he reached home, Diwan Sahib declared with his usual elan, ‘Let the wedding ceremonies begin.’ He did not show any signs of discomfort. He kept a tight hold over himself as he went in. He emerged shortly, spruced up and with all the paraphernalia of the Diwani. But his gait was slower and he leaned on a cane.

***

According to tradition, the barat has to reach the girl’s doorstep. Since three boys from the same family were getting married at the same time, the three brides’ families had rented one mandap. It was decorated beautifully. Lengths of flowers adorned every corner. There was no electricity but there were excellent arrangements for lighting. There were torches and petromax lights burning with their usual hissing sound. There were three small wedding mandaps. Each one had four flower bedecked poles. In front of them was a big ceremonial pot, on which were balanced five auspicious pots made of brass. Three duly decked up brides had been asked to sit in the mandaps by the pandits. They kept up chants for some time but then they fell silent. The brides were mere girls. The barat had started late because of the delay in Diwan Sahib’s arrival. The brides could not be taken back into the house from the mandap. The girls grew drowsy and began drooping, this way and that. It was a very odd scene. The women of the house had to look after the brides until the barat came. Others were singing mangal geet. The songs had messages for the baratis and the prospective in-laws. The baratis were garlanded by all the families of all the three brides. All the guests wore fine clothes. Some of them wore pagris. Karamchand was in a horse drawn carriage. The grooms were on horseback. Karamchand was having difficulty with every movement. But his royal bearing was intact. He was attired in royal finery. He alighted with assistance. Escorted indoors, he was led to a high chair placed at an elevation. Six chairs had come from the Porbandar durbar. Two for the in-laws, and three for the grooms. The highest chair was for the Durbar Sahib whether he was present or not. Such a grand barat was seen in Porbandar for the first time ever. Guests from the brides’ side were making loud comments about the three grooms – on their height, their complexion and the like. Similar remarks were being made about the brides. Kastur got the lion’s share of compliments. For her appearance as well as for her good fortune. People were indicating with signs which groom was the son of our Diwan Sahib and which one was the son of the senior Diwan Sahib of Rajkot. Marks were being freely allotted on appearances.

Mohandas, also known as Moniya, was the youngest. He was taken to the middle mandap that was the best decorated and asked to sit on a low stool that faced east. On another low stool, Kastur was made to sit facing west. Kastur’s face was covered with a ghoonghat but she managed a slanting glance at the face of her groom. She was seeing him after some years. It felt good. A white sheet was stretched out vertically between them. Kastur saw her ba-bapu sitting beside her, facing northwards and she was elated. Finally somebody familiar in the sea of strangers. Then her father Gokuldas stood up and declared the time, eon, era, place, country, year, season, day, town, the planetary positions and the place of the wedding. Calling upon all the devatas, he said, ‘I place the hand of my healthy daughter Kastur in the hands of Sriman Mohandas, the younger son of honourable Karamchand and leaving aside filial affection, give up the rights that my wife and I had as her parents.’ A low sob was heard. Along with a blade of doob grass, he placed the hand of Kastur in the hand of Mohandas. The groom’s side made sounds of joyous celebration. The hearts of the people from the bride’s side grew heavy. The same thing happened in the other two mandaps.

Kastur’s small, soft hand in Moniya’s looked like a white lotus bud. Moniya also stole a look at Kastur. She was older and very pretty. After this was the saptpadi, at every step, Panditji would pronounce a promise and Moniya would repeat it. Kastur would repeat it too. Moniya, walking alongside, was the only one who could hear her as if she was saying it only to him. The same ceremony was being conducted in all three mandaps. The conch was blown thereafter. The purohits then recited their respective patron’s virudavali, which listed the names and other details of the members of that clan, their lineage, as well as achievements and qualifications of various clan members.

A festive atmosphere prevailed with showers of flowers all around and joyous voices resounding from all sides. Guests from both sides congratulated Diwan Sahib and Tulsidas. There was a crowd of in-laws and family friends. It is a rare occasion in a Hindu household where three sons of a family are wedded in a common mandap, at an auspicious time. All three were in their teens, but Karsan and Motilal were almost the same age. Motilal was a year older than Karsan which made him seventeen. Moniya was the youngest. The sounds of the conch and the band were exhilarating. Moniya was enjoying the gifts, the fine clothes and the sound of music. He was also thinking that he would get a long lost friend to play with. But both of them had big questions to grapple with. How would they face each other and how would they address each other?

Of the two, Moniya was more worried. If I speak, will she reply? He was only thirteen. He did not know anything about married life. His bhabhi had given him a few leads. There is a saying that if you don’t know the lesson, it is difficult to cheat. How much could Bhabhi tell him anyway? How much would Kastur know? His cherished belief that he was older had been shattered by Kastur’s father’s declaration. That was a shock.

Much later did Mohan understand that such relationships open out gradually. Leads from the outside are only a beginning.

***

Kastur’s background was one where girls are schooled into patience and forbearance. It is possible that such thoughts were also roiling inside her, as the ones that were troubling Moniya. She felt torn. Her home, her ba-bapu and brother and other family members was one part. Will I have to leave all of them? Why? Why can’t I stay here? Why are Ba-Bapu sending me away? What have I done? She had asked Ba tearfully. Ba had broken down. When she leaves, every daughter has the same question in her heart. No mother ever has a satisfactory answer. Ba had come to this house with the same question. After that she learnt to be patient. Such patience, so early in the life of a young girl, robs her of her childhood. Until the vidai, she nursed the hurt.

___***___

Kastur’s New Home

Like all children, Kastur was excited at the prospect of a journey. In those days, journeys could only be undertaken by road. Men and women used different vehicles. Horse carriages or camel carts. Ganga and Kastur were together. Ganga was younger, but as she was Moniya’s elder brother Karsan’s wife, her rank was higher. She was Kastur’s jethani . But she would not stop crying. Kastur also felt like crying but she checked herself. She tried pacifying Ganga. Kastur had always been fearless since her childhood. She was not intimidated by the new place, like most brides of her age.

The two grooms and elder brother, Lakshmidas, sat with their injured father, in the carriage. The royal coach had been repaired and sent back, the syces duly rewarded. The rations for the horses had also been given. Both the brides were sitting in the bigger carriage with elder sister-in-law Nandkunwarben and mother-in-law Putliba. They were huddled in a corner. This was the longest ride of their lives. Putliba enquired about their comfort throughout. They would take a break at a dharamshala or at an acquaintance’s house. Since they were back from a wedding, they had ample food supplies.

Everybody was apprehensive about another accident. Diwan Sahib had not fully recovered. Nobody spoke openly, but in everybody’s heart was a prayer for a safe end to this journey. As soon as the coachman increased the speed, Karamchand would tell him to go slow, the horses will tire. Kastur wanted the coach to race ahead. If Bapu had been there, she would have insisted that the coach go faster. Now she had to sit quietly. Ganga was fast asleep. Ba had put her head in her lap. She asked Kastur to sleep too, but since the elders were awake, she did not sleep. She was older than Ganga. She would just catch a brief nap now and then.

When the coaches finally reached the house of the Gandhis, the women breathed a sigh of relief. The men echoed this with the ironical aphorism – safe and sound the fools return. Well, wrong to call them fools, they were the wise